Gamarjoba - a Georgian brand of tea, will be available in the Czech supermarket chain Oxalis as part of the Enterprise Georgia export assistance program.
Since 1993, the owners of Gamarjoba have been producing tea under multiple trademarks.
The cultivation of Gurian tea is a family tradition for the company's founders, who have also pursued professional studies in China, the birthplace of tea culture. After learning about new tea flavors, varieties, and agricultural practices, the owners returned to Georgia to start producing Gamarjoba, for which local farmers source pesticide-free leafs from the mountainous region of Guria.
Following the announcement of the agency’s program, the company entered into negotiations with the Czech supermarket chain OXALIS. The company was requested an entry fee, which is a common practice in the market and frequently remains challenge for representatives of small and medium-sized businesses. Through the program, Enterprise Georgia assists Georgian export-oriented businesses in connecting with international stakeholders as well as allowing companies to obtain co-financing.
"Before the export assistance program, we sold tea in plain packaging. The program gave us a chance of realizing our dream of offering authentic Georgian products to international partners under the Georgian trademark. This offer was also appealing to them; that's how we came to an agreement. The long-forgotten tradition of our ancestors has gained a great deal of attention and success in the Czech Republic"—Avtandil Lomtatidze, co-founder of Gamarjoba.
Gamarjoba produces premium-quality black, white, aged, and crafted teas. Years of working with tea leaves led them to discover that Georgian tea naturally absorbs the scents of rose, acacia, and honey, distinguishing it from tea of other countries. In addition to this product, an alcoholic beverage made from their tea infusion is already available in the Czech Republic.
It is worth mentioning that, Enterprise Georgia launched a pilot export assistance program in 2022, with the goal of increasing domestic product export volume and local product competitiveness on the international market.
Nowadays, export assistance mechanisms are actively supporting Georgian companies, resulting in product and service diversification and encouraging international sales.
Gamarjoba is a beneficiary of the Export Assistance Program. Through the International Network Entry component, the company was able to market Georgian-made tea in one of the most well-known supermarkets in the Czech Republic and export its goods to the European Union.